Do metal roofs get damaged by hail?

Usually only cosmetically. HomeGuide notes metal roofs are hail-resistant and most hail leaves dents, not holes, though deep dents can puncture a panel and leak. A UL 2218 Class 4 rating means a 2-inch steel ball dropped 20 feet didn't open the tested panel. It doesn't make the roof hail-proof.

What is considered storm damage to a metal roof?

Damage a specific event caused: panels or ridge cap lifted by wind, trim torn off, screws pulled loose, dents or punctures from hail or falling limbs. Rust, chalky paint and washers that dried out over years are wear, not storm damage. Dated photos taken soon after the storm help tell the two apart.

How long do I have to file a roof insurance claim in Florida?

Under Fla. Stat. 627.70132, a new or reopened claim is barred unless the insurer was notified within 1 year after the date of loss. A supplemental claim for more damage from the same event has an 18-month limit. Your policy may set its own notice terms, so read it and report damage early.

Is it legal for a Florida roofer to cover my insurance deductible?

No. Fla. Stat. 489.147 bars a contractor from offering a residential owner a rebate, gift, cash or deductible waiver in exchange for a roof inspection or a roof claim. The statute also makes knowingly waiving or rebating a deductible insurance fraud, a third-degree felony. You pay your own deductible.

Metal Roof Storm Damage Repair in Tallahassee, FL

Metal Roof Storm Damage Types in Tallahassee

Tallahassee's roof damage comes from tropical systems, tornadoes and the trees that fall in both. Each leaves its own marks on a metal roof and calls for its own repair.

Gray metal roof with one panel edge peeled up at the rake and a section of trim missing after high wind

Wind Damage: Lifted Panels and Torn Trim

Wind usually starts at the edges: rake trim, eave trim and ridge cap. Once wind gets under a panel edge, it can peel the panel back along its screw line. HomeGuide notes that extreme wind also loosens seams and fasteners that still look in place. On May 10, 2024, the National Weather Service rated two of the tornadoes that crossed the Tallahassee area EF2, at 115 mph, with roof damage to a hotel and shopping center near Capital Circle NW.

Look for: lifted panel edges, missing trim, ridge cap pulled up, screw heads raised along one line
Repair: re-fasten loose panels, replace torn trim and ridge cap, replace panels that won't lie flat

Hail Dents

Hail on metal usually leaves dents without holes. HomeGuide calls most of it cosmetic, but deep dents can crack the finish or puncture the panel and leak. Dents on the flats of a standing seam roof show most when light hits them low. On a screw-down roof, check whether hail split any washers. For the impact rating, see stone-coated steel roofing.

Broken oak limb resting across a green ribbed metal roof with a dented panel beneath it

Fallen Limbs and Punctures

Trees cover 55% of the city, and the urban forest plan names short-lived species such as water oak among them. After Hurricane Hermine in 2016, NWS photos showed a tree on a Tallahassee home. A limb that punches through a panel lets water straight into the deck. Creased or holed panels are usually replaced rather than patched; HomeGuide prices replacement panels at $3 to $14 per square foot.

Emergency Dry-In and Tarping

The first job after a puncture is keeping water out. In unincorporated Leon County, temporary tarping and minor repairs of 100 square feet or less don't need a permit. Larger repairs and replacements do.

Average tarp job: $175 to $700 (HomeGuide)
After-hours tarping: $1.00 to $2.80 per sq ft, often with a $100 to $200 call-out fee
How long it holds: 60 to 90 days for a standard tarp; a heavy 10-mil tarp can last 1 to 2 years

On metal, a tarp has to be fastened without adding new holes where possible, so ask how it will be secured.

Insurance Claim Documentation

Take your own photos before cleanup starts: wide shots that show which side of the house is hit, then close-ups with a tape measure in frame for scale. A good roofer will photograph the damage again before anything is moved or tarped, and the written scope should carry the storm date.

Roofer seen from behind measuring a worn asphalt shingle roof before a metal roof estimate

Why Tallahassee homeowners call Tallahassee Metal Roof Co.

Free referral, no charge to homeowners
Your request reaches a single metal roofing contractor, not a list
Ask for panel, gauge and Product Approval number in writing
Free, no-obligation estimate from the roofer

Hiring a Roofer After a Storm in Tallahassee

Before you sign with anyone after a storm, Florida law gives you a few quick checks.

License lookup
Florida licenses roofers through the Department of Business and Professional Regulation. Search the name on the DBPR "Verify a Licensee" page at myfloridalicense.com; the state class is Certified Roofing Contractor.
Unlicensed contracts
Under Fla. Stat. 489.128, an unlicensed contractor loses the right to enforce the contract it signed with you.
Recovery fund notice
A residential contract over $2,500 has to include the Florida Homeowners' Construction Recovery Fund statement (Fla. Stat. 489.1425).
No deductible deals
Fla. Stat. 489.147 bans offering gifts, cash or a deductible waiver in exchange for a roof inspection or claim. A contractor ad that urges you to file a roof claim has to say, in print at least 12 points, that you are responsible for the deductible.
Permits after a declared emergency
Leon County expedites storm-related permits, and post-storm fees may be reduced or waived by Board resolution. See metal roof replacement for which office issues the permit.

If the storm damaged more than a quarter of the roof, the 25% rule may require bringing the whole roof up to code. See metal roof repair.

Call with the address, what happened and when, and a photo if it's safe to take one. Your request goes to the roofer we refer storm work to; ask for a written scope that separates the emergency dry-in from the permanent repair.